Vibrant Vietnam (Part 9): Hands on the Hills! - Bana Hills!

- December 30, 2024, Monday.

- The time has finally come for my family to visit the main reason people visit Danang: Sun World Bana Hills! This is where the Golden Bridge can be found, which appears to be held up by two giant hands. Bana Hills as a hilltop resort was conceptualized in 1919 by the French, until it was later developed by Sun World into the resort that is known and loved by all today. It also boasts its cable car system, which is currently the world's longest non-stop system, and recognized by the Guinness World Records. 

- Although accessible from Da Nang's city proper, via a short car ride (taxi or Grab for example), I opted to book a guided tour via Klook for Bana Hills. You see, Bana Hills covers a big area, separated by cable cars and funiculars. To make sure that things go smoothly, especially since my family is with me, I thought being guided in the park was a wise decision. And boy, it really was! Our guide Vinh picked us up early in the morning from our hotel and arrived at Bana Hills just when it opened. Up we went to the Golden Bridge when there were less people. 

At the entrance. It looks like a gate to another dimension!

Long cable car ride.

- Since we went during winter, Bana Hills was foggy all day. My dad wasn't the happiest (he was really looking forward to see the giant hands) but at least we got some decent photos. The most decent we could, at least. The best time to visit Bana Hills is during the summer when it's sunny, though it could be too hot for some. Speaking of photos, I was also told that the best way to ensure that there are less people is to stay at Bana Hills (there is a Mercure Hotel inside the resort) and guests are allowed to visit the Golden Bridge around an hour before it officially opens to outside guests. By the way, it is also good to budget photo time at the Golden Bridge, because it does connect to the numerous gardens in the area. Most appeared French, owing to the resort's history and Vietnam's colonial past.

The fog made everything look mysterious and gray.

Hand.

I can't even see both hands. It's really just one at a time.

French Garden.

- Bana Hills is also home to one of the three Linh Ung temples in Da Nang. "Linh Ung" means "what the heart/soul wants"; those who pray to the Buddhas in the temple may get what they wish for. For the Vietnamese who built temples especially in Da Nang, it was to stop natural calamities from happening such as storms and floods as the city is coastal. This one in Bana Hills was built in 2004.

Linh Ung Temple.

It felt so peaceful being there.

Former gate, which was used when the cable cars weren't installed yet.

Temple interior.

Lady Buddha.

Was so happy when I saw this giant peacock.

The gardens would look nicer without the fog huhu.

- We later paid a visit to the large Pop Mart store at the French Village, had lunch, walked around the French Village more. Later on we went to the German-themed restaurant where they made us taste beer (something my sister was interested in).     

This building has now become a Pop Mart.

I seriously don't understand collector's items toys. But to each their own I guess.

French Village. Fog slightly cleared for like a second.

Buffet for lunch. I'm happy Vinh's timing was impeccable; he wanted us to get there a bit earlier so we'd eat first and get to choose our food with a lot of elbow room. Minutes later the whole restaurant was filled up by tourists.

The Louvre Museum's Asian cousin. Hahahaha.

Now this was honestly scary at first glands - in the fog.

I saw how nice this looks like from photos and brochures, and here it just looks like a haunted house.

Helios Waterfall.

Brewery and restaurant.

More of the French village. By the way, I was wearing my most western-looking aodai.

Bonjourrrr!!

- I later visited Bana Hill's spiritual complex. It has the Linh Phong Monastery, the Linh Tu Pagoda, the belfry, among other structures and areas of worship. These were also some of the earlier establishments in the Bana Hills resort for tourism (and religious) purposes.

On the way to the spiritual zone.

It was difficult to find a moment to myself as there were lots of tourists.

Linh Phong Stupa (and some new friends.)

Linh Phong Monastery.

Linh Tu Pagoda.

Belfry (bell from below.)

The big bell.

- Our tour ended around 4pm, and got back to the city not long after. That evening we chose to have dinner at one of the well-known seafood restaurants in Da Nang, My Hanh Seafood Restaurant. It has a wide variety of fresh seafood including king crabs (which I was after, honestly). The restaurant is also located by Da Nang's main shoreline, My Khe Beach.

Waterfalls at Bana Hills, as seen from the cable car.

Cable cars.

Back at the city, saw a stage built at the end of the road as preparation for the New Year countdown program.

Here we are!

Took a walk along the sidewalk by My Khe Beach while waiting for our food to be cooked.

My Khe Beach at night.

Saw this small temple at the sidewalk.

Temple facade.

Half of the king crab, we had the other half cooked another way (half is steamed, the other half with garlic butter). 

- Our day at Bana Hills was filled with surprises as we only expected to visit the Golden Bridge and the French Village. However, Bana Hills is a work in progress and more attractions will open in the coming months (or years). Maybe next time, I'll decide to go to Danang during the warmer months to avoid the fog. It was a pleasant experience still, at least! 

**** Check out my other adventures from this Vietnam trip:

Part 1 - Icons of Saigon: here

Part 2 - Cu Chi Tunnels and Evening Food Tour: here

Part 3 - Mekong Delta: here

Part 4 - French Influences in Saigon: here

Part 5 - Hoi An Must Sees: here

Part 6 - Hoi An Coconut Boat and Hoi An Impression: here

Part 7 - Da Nang: here

Part 8 - Hue: here

Part 10 - Marble Mountains and My Son: here

Vibrant Vietnam (Part 8): The Hues of Hue!! (The /Hyoos/ of /Huweh/!!)

- December 29, 2024, Sunday.

- HUE-L HUE-L HUE-L (well well well, in case you didn't get that), my time has come to visit Hue (pronounced "hu-weh", not like the English "hyoo"). Hue is a city in central Vietnam and served as the imperial capital from 1802 to 1945, during the Nguyen Dynasty (the last dynasty of Vietnam.) I've always wanted to see Hue because the best of Vietnamese royal culture could be seen here compared to other major cities such as Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh City/Saigon. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site by the way! Because my family had a limited time in Vietnam, we were only able to do a day trip from Danang (booked a tour via Klook). 

- With our knowledgeable guide Elise, we started our tour after a 2-hour drive from Danang by riding a dragon boat across the Perfume River (Huong River) to visit the Thien Mu Temple. Built in the early 1600s by the Nguyen lords (the clan which later became the imperial Nguyen Dynasty), the temple is one of the main and iconic temples of Hue. Apart from the main pagoda, it is also known for storing the blue car that the Buddhist monk Thich Quang Duc was driven in when he self-immolated in Saigon as a protest against former president Ngo Dinh Diem's anti-Buddhist policies and movements. Apart from this, the temple is also known for single people praying for love. However, couples who come here to pray are said to separate later on, because it is assumed that they are not happy with their current relationship and are looking for another one.

Dragon boats that cruise along the Perfume River.

Thien Mu Pagoda.

Wore the perfect Vietnamese look for Hue!

Giant bell.

I thought it was about time for me to pray for my love life but lo and behold the prayer area was under maintenance as the Buddhist monks were cleaning the statues. Oh well.

The blue car that Thich Quang Duc used before he burned himself alive.

- The main site to not be missed in Hue is the Imperial City, which served as the royal palace of the Nguyen Dynasty. It was built in 1803 and was used until 1945 when the civilians lost trust in the royal family due to political reasons. The Nguyen Dynasty established Hue as their capital because the clan historically ruled in this part of Vietnam. During the Vietnam War, a lot of the Imperial City's buildings were destroyed and are undergoing major restoration and renovation works as of now.

Fort.

Throne hall.

Temple to worship / pay respects to the Nguyen royalty.

I often hate photobombers, but this one is one of the exceptions: I love how the lady at the back was also in full regalia!

- The whole place was so big that our tour guide whizzed through the most important buildings because it really is impossible to see it in a day. Also considering that we needed to go to other places + lunch, we really had to squeeze our time.  

Kien Trung Palace, built by Emperor Khai Dinh in the 1920s. It blends Vietnamese and European styles.

We did not have time to go inside but based on the photos I have seen online, it is just as ornate inside as it is outside.

Based on what I learned about Emperor Khai Dinh, who was an eccentric and detail-oriented emperor, this kind of building was something that matched his colorful personality.

Ceramic details. By he way, this palace was renovated for years and just reopened to the public in 2024. Thankfully I had a chance to see this!!

I loved the mosaic with the phoenixes. The symbol in the middle means "longevity".

Living quarters for the emperors' mothers.

Gate.

- We had lunch after the long and fast walk inside the palace. We went to Biet Phu Thao Nhi Restaurant, which felt like a home turned into a restaurant. The restaurant seemed fine (food was generally good, there was an attempt to make the dishes special.)

The only thing I have a photo of at the restaurant. Not even the food. HAHAHAHA.

- That afternoon we visited the Tomb of Tu Duc, which is one of the many many royal tombs in Hue.  Finished in the 1800s, this tomb complex is for Emperor Tu Duc, who reigned the longest among the Nguyen emperors. What's special about the tomb, apart from its size, is that Emperor Tu Duc never had a son, probably because he contracted smallpox, and so he had to write his own epitaph. (And the epitaph was huge!) The actual "tomb" of Tu Duc also does not contain his remains for safety or security reasons. Hence, his real burial place remains hidden until today, since those who buried him were all beheaded afterwards.

The "tomb" -- but doesn't really have Emperor Tu Duc's actual remains.

I love the mosaic. And yes, also because it's orange.

Epitaph he wrote himself.

- Just outside Emperor Tu Duc's tomb is the Thuy Xuan Incense Village. Since we had some time to spare, our tour guide gave me a few minutes to take photos at the incense stores at the village. Although it isn't as big as the other incense villages in Vietnam, the stores made efforts to make their incense displays suitable for taking photos. Most would charge a small fee, but the one I chose didn't charge me anything. They were also kind enough to show me how incense sticks were made. As support to the family, I could buy incense sticks or any souvenirs that they sold. Fortunately, they had a non la (cone hat) that had a peacock motif with a unique color scheme, something I had a difficulty finding during my countless visits to markets and souvenir stores across Vietnam during the trip. Good for them, and good for me, I guess.

Very colorful!

I'm really glad I got to do this!! (Thank you tour guide for giving me time!!)

Almost all incense stores have some set up like this, for photos.

Inside their house, I am introduced to the world of incense making.

My turn!

The cone hat I got from them!

- The final item in our list for the day was visiting Emperor Khai Dinh's tomb. The same emperor in charge of the colorful ceramic Kien Trung Palace inside the Imperial City (see above,) passed away in 1925. He was not popular with the Vietnamese as he raised taxes, partly to fund his ornate tomb, and because he was viewed as a puppet of the French. Emperor Khai Dinh's tomb appears smaller than other royal tombs in Hue, but it is the most different in architecture due to having European influences. It is also located at the side of a mountain, which requires some flights of stairs to reach the actual tomb.

Halfway to the tomb.

It has the appearance of a palace.

His tomb.

From the front.

- We got back to Da Nang in the late afternoon after another two hour drive. That evening we decided to try Jollibee in Vietnam. There was a branch inside Vincom Plaza, a mall that was a short walk from our hotel. The Vietnamese have embraced Jollibee as much as the Filipinos, and having a Jollibee party has also become a sought-after experience for many Vietnamese locals. Unlike in the Philippines, they don't serve gravy with their chicken (instead they have a sweet-spicy sauce typical in most Southeast-Asian countries), they don't have Burger Yum, among a few other differences. 

Bee-da ang saya!

Just like the Philippines at first glance.

Sorry I was so hungry, my food is now half eaten.

- Hue is one of the cities that I think I'd love to visit once again in the future. One day was definitely not enough! I was happy I got a chance to visit the must-sees, but I wanted to experience this city more. There are other royal tombs, museums, and more quarters within the Imperial City that I would like to see if I will have the chance to return to Hue. For now, I leave Hue with a grateful heart, and move forward with our trip in Central Vietnam!

**** Check out my other adventures from this Vietnam trip:

Part 1 - Icons of Saigon: here

Part 2 - Cu Chi Tunnels and Evening Food Tour: here

Part 3 - Mekong Delta: here

Part 4 - French Influences in Saigon: here

Part 5 - Hoi An Must Sees: here

Part 6 - Hoi An Coconut Boat and Hoi An Impression: here

Part 7 - Da Nang: here

Part 9 - Bana Hills: here

Part 10 - Marble Mountains and My Son: here